Boy · #2,915 in 2026

Merchant

A merchant is a person or company engaged in trade, conducting sales through stores or online platforms, particularly one that engages in international import and export activities.

Current Rank
#2,915
Peak Rank
#2,915 (1914)
Total Babies
6
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1914
First Year
1914
Last Year
1914
Peak Year
#2915
Peak Rank
6
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Merchant

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

A merchant is a person or company engaged in trade, conducting sales through stores or online platforms, particularly one that engages in international import and export activities.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Costumes of merchants from Brabant and Antwerp, engraving by Abraham de Bruyn , 1577 The English term, merchant comes from the Middle English, marchant , which is derived from Anglo-Norman marchaunt , which itself originated from the Vulgar Latin mercatant or mercatans , formed from present participle of mercatare ('to trade, to traffic or to deal in'). The term refers to any type of reseller, but can also be used with a specific qualifier to suggest a person who deals in a given characteristic such as speed merchant , which refer to someone who enjoys fast driving; noise merchant , which refe
Origin & history
See also: Retail § history , Market (place) , and History of marketing

The Story of Merchant

Merchant first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1914, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1914, when 6 Merchants were born — ranking #2,915 that year. As of 2026, Merchant ranks #2,915 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 6 Merchants have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Merchant

Phonetically similar names — useful when Merchant is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Merchand
  • Merchants
  • Marchant
  • Mercante
  • Emergent
  • Mershon
  • Margent
  • Mersion
  • Nurturant
  • Merginae
  • Marooned
  • Argent

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Merchant

What does the name Merchant mean?
A merchant is a person or company engaged in trade, conducting sales through stores or online platforms, particularly one that engages in international import and export activities.
How popular is Merchant in 2026?
In 2026, Merchant ranks #2,915 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Merchant most popular?
Merchant reached its peak popularity in 1914, ranking #2,915 that year with 6 babies given the name.
Is Merchant a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Merchant is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Merchant?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Merchant include Orphus, Wince, Ludvik. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Orphus
Peak #2915
👦
Wince
Peak #2915
👦
Ludvik
Peak #2915
👦
Abbot
Peak #2915
👦
Aldie
Peak #2915
👦
Amilcare
Peak #2915
👦
Bertice
Peak #2915
👦
Carwin
Peak #2915

About the name Merchant

Merchant is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 6 births in the dataset. Merchant's peak popularity came in 1914 when it ranked #2,915. Use the chart and map above to compare Merchant's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.